I have an '04 Escape with 2.0 L and manual trans., and a recently aquired '06 Escape w/ V6 Auto. I was shocked at how the V6 sucked gas. Ford always publishes numbers on mileage between the 4 and the 6 that make it seem like they're close, but I would always scratch my head and wonder how this could be.
The 4 cyl. gets at best about 25 on the hiway. I thought that wasn't very good, but then again they push a lot of air.
I'm afraid to check the V6 - I only got that for my son because the clutch on the 4 is touchy.

If you flog the V6 as hard as the I4 you'll see worse mileage. Keep in mind that you don't need as much throttle with the V6 to keep pace with the I4 that you're used to. Highway mileage depends on weight, speed, and weather.

I have an '04 Escape with 2.0 L and manual trans, ... the clutch on the 4 is touchy.

May I ask what you mean by the trans being touchy?
I bought mine used, and I believe the clutch slips at times when moving off from a dead stop - I guess that's what happening anyway. I have to use the clutch & accel pedal almost perfectly to avoid the problem. It's fine otherwise... when shifting from 1st to 2nd, 2nd to 3rd, etc, etc. Downshifting is fine too.

With regard to 360ci's comment about how I drive the I4 vs. V6 - I drive them the same and flog neither. The I4 is responsive on it's own with the man. trans. There is a noticeable difference in gas mileage between the 2 models. The only reason I got the automatic was for my son.

With regard to Hurk's comment about the man. trans. problem, you can see my recent thread termed "'04 Clutch problem" or something like that, under my ID "FE385". All my problems with the clutch happen when starting from a standing stop, or a rolling stop. You can see what I went through in my narrative.

I just recently bought an 03 escape V6 auto and am trying to figure out how I might improve gas mileage.. I already feel like i'm driving like an old man to keep from revin it up all the time but I still only manage 18mpg at most in the city. It's at almost 150,000 km and my mechanic suggests I try changing the O2 sensor. Any thoughts? How bout K&N air filters vs. regular ones? do they change anything? I just changed the fuel filter too so that's not an issue. I realize in the end that my driving habits make a huge difference but any other suggestions are appreciated... tire pressure is correct too.

I just recently bought an 03 escape V6 auto and am trying to figure out how I might improve gas mileage.. I already feel like i'm driving like an old man to keep from revin it up all the time but I still only manage 18mpg at most in the city. It's at almost 150,000 km and my mechanic suggests I try changing the O2 sensor. Any thoughts? How bout K&N air filters vs. regular ones? do they change anything? I just changed the fuel filter too so that's not an issue. I realize in the end that my driving habits make a huge difference but any other suggestions are appreciated... tire pressure is correct too.

There's not a whole lot you can do to improve mileage. A lot of folks might say 'free flowing exhaust', or 'air intake kit', but for what they cost to what you might save, it's not worth the bother unless you want the slight performance it might provide.

Best thing to do is run synthetic fluids all around. Synthetics don't increase HP, they release a pony or two from the engine that would otherwise be lost in pumping losses or friction, to dino/petrol oils. Another thing is to maintain proper tire pressure. Touring or all season tires generally give you the best mileage. If you run snow tires in the winter, they will hamper mileage due to the more aggressive tread design; or if you use A/T tires and don't really need them, don't buy similar tires next time. Think smooth tread for best mileage.

One final thing you can do, if it applies, is to remove anything in the vehicle you carry but never need. Carrying around extra weight in the vehicle will decrease mileage. Same goes for the driver and occupants, a 300lb driver will get worse mileage than a 150lb one. If you have roof rack cross bars and never put anything on top of them, remove them and store them at your house as they create unnecessary drag and can lower mileage (also added weight you don't need to constantly carry around).

Canadian drivers keep in mind
a US gallon is different then a British gallon (which we use)
so the milage is different between the two
i have a gas usage spreadsheet with all the conversions and a usage graph and such
I'll try to post it in a few days
If i remember correctly 20 MPG (US) is around 23 MPG (CAN)

I never use the UK gallon. A gallon to me is the US gallon as I travel down there often enough :) It's better to keep things simplified. It doesn't help any that my "Canadian spec" vehicles with instant fuel mileage show L/100km OR, by the US gal. Hmm.

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